Polk County Fishing
July 28th, 2006 by Fishing admin
Polk County Fishing
1. Around Lakeland, Chuck Borden of Lakeland caught a couple of nice fish at Saddle Creek Park recently — a 4pound, 14-ounce tilapia and an 8.2pound bass. He ate the tilapia, released the bass. The bass hit a Bomber Model A firetiger crankbait over a rock bar. Borden said the tilapia would have been a state record. Mike Shaffer landed a 6-pound bass on Monday at Saddle Creek Park, reports Phillips Bait and Tackle. Bass up to 23 inches at Tenoroc in Shop, Lost Lake East at the new Saddle Creek Tract and Half Moon at the new Bridgewater tract, reports Brian Fleming. New bridge going in this morning at Derby Lake at Tenoroc to expand fishing access. Bream fishermen at Tenoroc doing best at lakes A, Legs and Lost Lake West. Catfish most consistent bite at Saddle Creek Park and Tenoroc (lakes 2, A, Legs). Not a lot of anglers out during last week in July, one of slowest weeks of year with school just around the corner.
2. At Auburndale, Lake Alfred continues to produce fairly good numbers of bass up to 5 pounds early on 10and 12-inch worms. Some large shellcracker at lakes Haines and Rochelle on north Winter Haven chain, and strangely enough, on crickets, reports Ron Schelfo at Ron’s Tackle Box in Lake Alfred.
3. At Winter Haven, south chain turning out much better bass catches than smaller lakes in area, but it requires patience to work crankbaits and worms around deep structure in high heat. Bass mostly 1-2 pounds in evening tournament at Eagle Lake, but one at 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Good report on big bluegill at Lake Eloise near Cypress Gardens on crickets, reports Chain O’Lakes Bait and Tackle at Dundee, with a few limits.
4. At Lake Hamilton, anglers hooking quite a few yearling bass early casting junebug or red Culprit worms, reports Chain O’Lakes Bait and Tackle (863-439-3885) in Dundee. Bluegill and shellcracker off beds, hitting crickets and red worms off grass lines in deeper water.
5. At Lake Marion near Haines City, county boat ramp has been busy this week after bluegill and shellcracker limits were reported last week at Bannon’s Camp. Bass on the slow side.
6. At Lake Pierce, bass up to 6-7 pounds turned on over weekend and still biting mid-week on dark shades of plastic worms in deeper water, reports Jennings Camp. Good numbers of smaller bass, too. Bream anglers catching just a few shellcracker and bluegill on crickets and red worms.
7. At Lake Hatchineha, bass holding up well for heat of summer, with anglers targeting open-water hydrilla with Rat-L-Traps and Rattlin’ Vibes or cranking deep-divers along banks in Cypress Canal and at either end of canal along dropoffs.
8. At Lake Toho, bass action has picked up, with guides averaging about 15 per trip up to 71/2 pounds on medium shiners, and topwater plugs early, reports Marc Detweiler at Big Toho Marina. Open-water hydrilla holding good-sized bass, which will hit topwater or jerkbaits early, then Rat-L-Traps and Rattlin’ Vibes as long as the breeze is blowing. Chance for bigger bass flipping grass line edges where there’s reeds on black/ blue craws and creature baits. Bream slowed down between new and full moon. Another 11-pound bass caught by a youngster on a guide trip with Skip Campbell to Conway Chain in Orlando, said Detweiler. It weighed 11 pounds, 2 ounces, and was released.
9. At Lake Kissimmee, the past week has been about as quiet as it gets with no bass tournaments reported for a change. Probably more bluegill anglers on water than bass fishermen, and bluegill have been the best bet, reports Rob Murchie at Middleton’s fish camp. Hard-working cane-polers managing limits of bluegill mixed with shellcracker (75 percent bluegill) moving from spot to spot in lily pads and grass. Shellcracker slowed at deep shell bars after being hammered last week. Bass anglers mostly flipping thickest, deepest vegetation they can find with craws (blue shadow Gambler Crawdaddy) and creature baits (watermelon candy Zoom Brush Hogs). Water level hasn’t come up much despite frequent rains.
10. At Lake Walk-in-the-Water, bass limited to first couple of hours in mornings on Rat-L-Traps, jerkbaits and plastic worms, and mostly 1-2 pounds.
11. At Crooked Lake at Babson Park, several nice bass weighed and released over weekend, reports Cindy at Bob’s Landing. Biggest was 9.9 pounds by Chris Hawker of Auburndale flipping a black-and-blue Wave Worm Craw Dude on Saturday. Rick Persson and Ed Metzger won the Bass Boat Central tournament on Saturday with 15.73 pounds, one of them 6.62 pounds. Mike McFarland had a 5.24-pound bass flipping for big-fish honors in Sunday Mike’s Big Fish tournament, where anglers weighed only one bass. And Howard Nalley of Valrico released a 7-pounder on Sunday casting a worm. Bluegill and shellcracker so-so at best, although size is good.
12. At Frostproof, no good reports recently. Be on water at daylight for just a few bass 1-3 pounds on jerkbaits, Horny Toads and topwater plugs at Lake Reedy and Lake Buffum. Canal to ramp on Arbuckle very low.
13. In the phosphate pits south of Mulberry and Bartow, best bet this time of year is cranking rock piles with firetiger Model A Bombers or plastic worms (Christmas tree, watermelon red).
COMPILED BY DEL MILLIGAN